


Secret Santa

by Krexxal



Series: Cake's Crumb Universe [2]
Category: Phineas and Ferb
Genre: Christmas, Gen, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:56:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27800371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krexxal/pseuds/Krexxal
Summary: The gang is running a Secret Santa, with some surprising pairings! It's up to Phineas, Ferb, Buford, and Isabella to figure out the perfect gifts for their giftees! Meanwhile, Perry is given what could be the most risky mission of his career.
Series: Cake's Crumb Universe [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2039146
Kudos: 8





	1. Prologue: Giftees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Secret Santa pairings are sent out, while Perry receives a dangerous mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back! I've decided to do this Christmas-themed fic as something small between Cake's Crumb and my next project, plus I'm in a festive mood. Hopefully you enjoy!
> 
> For context, this takes place the winter after the initial summer, as well as after the Phineas and Ferb Effect. Don't worry about it conflicting with the Christmas Vacation episode either. Canon is weird.

_No POV_

The time was about nine o'clock in the morning, with fresh snow on the ground no less, and both Phineas and Ferb were putting their final touches on their latest machine. It seemed to be a cylindrical tube with several smaller pods attached to it, and a satellite dish on the top of it. Phineas, huddling underneath the thing, was screwing one last gear into place as he glanced at Ferb.

"Ferb, send the text now. I think we can finally begin."

Ferb nodded as he pulled out his cellphone, sending a text to a group chat. Within seconds, Candace came bursting out of the screen door of the house, clad in her winter garb.

"PHINEAS! FERB! WHAT ARE YOU-whoops, sorry. Force of habit."

Phineas stifled a chuckle as he looked to Candace, leaning on the machine. As he did so, the rest of the gang's friends entered via the gate of the backyard: Isabella, Buford, Baljeet, Irving, Django, Isabella's troop of Fireside Girls, and even Jeremy and Stacy. Isabella in particular was grinning at Phineas, and as per usual he shot her a grin back. Ever since they got together near the end of the summer, the two of them were inseperable.

"Hey Phineas! Whatcha wanting us out here for?"

"I'm glad you asked Isabella. This bad boy here is the Secret Santa Analyzer!"

"Ooooh."

"Whoa."

"So it's a random number generator?"

"Can it nerd. I want to see what Dinnerbell has to say about it."

Phineas tapped on a small remote as the various pods around the analyzer opened up.

"How it works is simple: those of you participating in our yearly Secret Santa will each enter a pod. Using our supercomputer technology from the summer, the pod will analyze your relationships with those in the other pods, and produce Secret Santa pairings accordingly. Of course, it will try to produce pairings that will result in the most beneficial outcomes as well as deviating from who you'd expect to be paired with who."

"Alright, I'm in. Buford's first!"

Buford made a mad dash into one of the pods, the rest of the gang following suit. Phineas was the last to enter, smiling to himself as he looked around. He couldn't have asked for better friends, but one thing stuck out to him.

"Hey, where's Perry?"

* * *

_Perry POV_

Nine-fifteen. My usual mission time. As my watch started beeping, I leapt off of Phineas's bed towards one of my many secret entrances, donning my usual fedora as I did so. Today's lair entrance happened to be the phone booth on Ferb's side of the room. Placing a call on the phone, the floor under it gave way to a trap door as I slid through the tube. This never gets old. After some more sliding, I landed on the chair of my lair, waiting for Major Monogram to arrive.

"Carl! Where did you put my glass of eggnog?"

"Sir, you know we don't allow drinks in the office anymore, right? Remember what happened with Agent L?"

"Right, right. Oh, good morning Agent P! We have a bit of a...situation. Yesterday, Agent B was sent to stop Dr. Bringdown's latest plot. However, we've lost contact with her, and fear the worst."

Agent B? Losing contact? She was one of our best! I couldn't possibly see her being defeated!

"Not to worry, you won't be going alone. Assisting you will be Agent Pinky, Agent Peter, and Agent T. They should be arriving right...now."

I heard a knock coming from my lair door. Seriously? They forgot to leave it unlocked?

"Oh for pete's sake. Carl!"

"On it sir!"

The door unlocked as my team arrived. Pinky and I had become good friends ever since Phineas and Isabella finally got together, so it was good to see him. Terry and Peter were also dependable allies I could trust, especially after all we've been through.

"We're all counting on you four. Monogram out."

* * *

_Phineas POV_

Standing in the pod, I felt a tingling sensation in my brain. Who would be picked as my Secret Santa giftee? Would it be Ferb? Isabella? Baljeet? Irving? Whoever it is, I'll be sure to give them the best present ever. Within our 25 dollar limit of course. Was the budget too low? Too high? I want to be sure to-

"Analysis complete."

Oh, it's done! Who am I gonna get?

"Your Secret Santa giftee is...Candace Flynn."

Candace? I wasn't expecting that. But I'm sure I can figure out a good gift. After all, she's my sister!

* * *

_Ferb POV_

"Your Secret Santa giftee is...Gretchen Decker."

YES! I GOT GRETCHEN!

I mean, oh cool, I got Gretchen. Nobody expects Ferb to be the extroverted one cheering. Right?

I should stop lying to myself. Ferb, you know you find Gretchen cute. You can't deny it. But this is your chance! You can really show her how much you appreciate her!

* * *

_Buford POV_

"Your Secret Santa giftee is...Baljeet Tjinder."

Huh, I got the nerd. This should be easy. After all, I've been bullying him for-

Crap. Now that I think about it, I have no clue of what to get him. Some comic? Some math thing? I really don't know!

* * *

_Isabella POV_

"Your Secret Santa giftee is...Phineas Flynn."

I got Phineas! I got Phineas! And this time, it'll be even more meaningful since we're an item! I'll need to figure out the perfect gift for him!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, I'm experimenting with writing from a first person POV. Hopefully the change isn't too jarring!


	2. Ferb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ferb faces a dilemma with his Secret Santa gift for Gretchen, while also grappling with the thoughts of his last crush. Meanwhile, Perry's team discovers a dark truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our first character chapter has arrived: Ferb! I was debating on whether or not I wanted to do him first, but a recent review regarding Ferbetchen cemented it. Before we start however, I would like to discuss why I chose Ferbetchen for both this story and Cake's Crumb, which this fic is indeed the follow-up to.
> 
> Despite the two of them getting together in Act Your Age, and Dan saying it was okay for them to be together, I still find Ferbnessa a tad creepy. Because of that, I elected to pair Ferb with someone else, and I didn't want to pull a new character out of my ass. Gretchen was chosen due to the Ferbetchen ship being prevalent within the community, as well as one other reason you will see this chapter. Hopefully this chapter sheds some insight on why I chose for Ferb and Gretchen to be paired!

_Ferb POV_

I really hope I can make Gretchen happy with her Secret Santa gift. She's so analytical and capable of picking out minute details so it has to be perfect. Maybe that's why I like her. Plus she looks cute with her glasses on and-

No Ferb. Let's not gush too much. Remember what happened with Vanessa?

* * *

_Two months earlier..._

I was walking through Danville Park one Saturday afternoon. Phineas was out on a date with Isabella, and Baljeet was busy doing Buford's homework at his house thus leaving me to myself. This wasn't just a simple stroll though, as I saw Vanessa sitting on a bench with some brown-haired guy. He kind of looked familiar looking back at it, but I'm not sure how. Initially, my mind was going nuts upon seeing this! Were they dating? Was he just a friend? Was he her sibling? I was so confused, but I knew I needed to figure this out. I breathed in as I approached the two of them.

"Vanessa?"

"Oh, hey Ferb! What are you doing out here?"

"I often come by the park when I need a breather on my own. What about you and your friend here?"

"Monty and I were on a date actually!"

Bugger.

Monty smiled at me as he extended a hand.

"Monty Monogram, pleased to meet you. Vanessa has told me about you quite a bit actually."

Barely managing to hold back my frustration, I shake Monty's hand. At the time, I felt heartbroken and was thinking intensely during the handshake.

"Ferb? You okay pal?"

I gave them a small nod and a wave as I walked off. At the time, I was sure they'd handwave it as something to do with how little I talk.

* * *

_Present-day_

"And that's when I realized I was better off moving on from her. From there, I started to notice Gretchen being cute a bit more, but I can never muster the courage to talk to her. She's like that one person you barely interact with, but just want to get to know better for some reason! And now I have her as my Secret Santa Isabella!"

I chose to talk to Isabella about Gretchen for two reasons: she had been crushing on my brother for YEARS, and she was one of Gretchen's closest friends. I was a bit scared to interact directly with Gretchen, but this was a start.

"First of all, I called it ever since the Norm incident. Second, I know the feeling all too well."

"Hence why I called you."

Isabella chuckled on the other end. Despite her being Phineas's boyfriend now, we were still good friends.

"I don't want to make a giant leap towards a relationship, but I want my gift to be something that I can just use to show that I care. That I truly appreciate her."

"I know she's big on Stumbleberry Finkbat."

YES! SHE'S A FINKY TOO! I couldn't help but fist pump a bit as I heard that.

"She was really bummed that she couldn't get opening night tickets for the new movie. I think it premieres in January? Maybe that's an idea."

"That...that works. Thanks Isabella, and good luck with your Secret Santa!"

"You're welcome. See you!"

I hung up and put my phone in my pocket as I opened up my desk drawer. Sure enough, my two tickets for Stumbleberry Finkbat: War of the Horns on January 15th were there. There was only one problem.

Phineas and I had planned to go together.

We had barely managed to get the tickets the day they were available for sale, and we had been waiting for this ever since the conclusion of the previous movie. The thing is though, would it really be worth it to selfishly take Phineas's ticket and give it to Gretchen?

* * *

_Perry POV_

After about ten minutes of flying over Danville, we made our way to Dr. Bringdown's lair. It was inside an abandoned toy factory, and there were dumpsters full of discarded...hold on, are those platypi?

Oh, right. The boys were toy designers for a day.

Pinky, Peter, and Terry got out of the hovercar as I motioned for them to follow me to the door. Giving a hand signal, I burst it down and got into a fighting stance, chittering.

It was empty inside.

The four of us looked around the factory to find that it was mostly abandoned, save for what appeared to be a large, destroyed device with claw swipes. Walking through the factory, I looked around for anything that could help us figure out what happened, before tripping on something. Getting up, I looked behind myself to see that I had tripped on an unconscious Dr. Bringdown. I chittered to grab the attention of my compatriots as we looked at him. Peter and Terry pushed him over onto his back, but that only revealed what had truly happened.

Dr. Bringdown was dead.

His body was covered in claw swipes, bite marks, and blood, mutilated beyond belief. This was unlike Agent B, and against OWCA protocol entirely! Killing our adversaries was forbidden! I looked to my allies and they seemed just as disgusted as I did. That is, until Pinky began to sniff the air and began walking out of the building. His sense of smell was always great, so he could lead us right to Agent B!

* * *

_Ferb POV_

I was pacing around my room frantically, considering my options. If I go with Phineas, I lose a chance with Gretchen. If I go with Gretchen, I risk getting Phineas mad. What was I going to do? I would've deliberated more, but my phone started going off as I heard the ever-familiar sound of Gitchee Gitchee Goo: my ringtone for Phineas. Grabbing my phone, I put it to my ear as I accepted the call.

"Hi Phineas."

"Hey Ferb! I just wanted to call you to ask about something."

"I'm all ears."

"Great! I was actually calling to let you know that I won't be able to go to the new Stumbleberry Finkbat movie with you next month. Isabella had to move her "Witnessing A Constellation" patch collection date to that day and invited me along. Is that okay?"

Thank you Isabella! Thank you thank you thank you!

"Yeah, that works out. I was actually planning to ask you if I could give the ticket to Gretchen as her Secret Santa present. She apparently really wanted to see that movie opening day."

"Ferb, I would've agreed to that either way! As much as I love Stumbleberry Finkbat, I know it was you who bought the tickets for us. You should be able to give them to whoever you like bro!"

I couldn't help but smile. What did I do to deserve a brother as good as Phineas?

"Wow, thank you Phineas."

"You're welcome. Oh, I'm near the end of the lineup now. I'd best be going. Good luck Ferb!"

"You too Phineas. See you around."

I hung up the call, and couldn't help but smile giddily to myself. I had the perfect Secret Santa gift!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this explains why I went in the direction I did! As a side note, I'm also having each chapter show the story from one character's perspective (save for the prologue and epilogue), with a Perry segment in each. Make sure to leave a review and a follow, and I'll see you around!


	3. Isabella

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isabella thinks back to when she first met Phineas as she figures out the perfect gift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay everyone! This particular chapter took a LOT of brainstorming to figure out, so I hope you enjoy!

_Isabella POV_

As soon as I got home from Phineas's house, I went straight for my desk to grab my journal. Ever since I was little, I had always used it to plan out how exactly I could get Phineas to notice how I felt, but once we got together, it moreso became a personal thing of mine I'd often flip through fondly. And now, that time had come! With Phineas as my Secret Santa, I could go searching for the perfect gift idea here! That is, until my phone started vibrating with the sound of a feminine voice saying "Ferb!", though I'm not sure how I got that sound as my ringtone for him. Why would Ferb want to talk to me? Was it because of his Secret Santa? Did something happen to Phineas? I wasn't sure. Either way, I pulled out my phone and answered the call.

"Hey Ferb. Whatcha doin'?"

"Hi Isabella. I have a bit of a...problem to say the least."

"A problem? What is it?"

"I got Gretchen as my Secret Santa and...I really want to make a good impression."

Ferb got Gretchen? That's interesting. I still remember when I noticed him eyeing her during the summer. But didn't he like Vanessa too? I'm so confused.

"I thought you liked Vanessa though."

I could hear Ferb sighing on the other end of the phone.

"Last summer, I stumbled upon Vanessa dating another guy out in the park, and it got me thinking about how she's much older than me. She deserves better. Even after I met her boyfriend, it left me wondering about my own choices. And that's when I realized I was better off moving on from her. From there, I started to notice Gretchen being cute a bit more, but I can never muster the courage to talk to her. She's like that one person you barely interact with, but just want to get to know better for some reason! And now I have her as my Secret Santa Isabella!"

CALLED IT.

"First of all, I called it ever since the Norm incident. Second, I know the feeling all too well."

"Hence why I called you."

I couldn't help but chuckle. Ferb coming to me for love advice was something I never expected to happen, especially when he has a sister who was head over heels for a certain Mr. Slushy Burger employee.

"I don't want to make a giant leap towards a relationship, but I want my gift to be something that I can just use to show that I care. That I truly appreciate her."

"I know she's big on Stumbleberry Finkbat. She was really bummed that she couldn't get opening night tickets for the new movie. I think it premieres in January? Maybe that's an idea."

I still remember how upset Gretchen was that day. Apparently the new movie was highly anticipated.

"That...that works. Thanks Isabella, and good luck with your Secret Santa!"

"You're welcome. See you!"

As Ferb hung up, I couldn't help but grin to myself. Why was it so much fun to play matchmaker for those two? Was it the hopeless romantic inside me? Hopefully Ferb gets Gretchen the tickets so she can finally see the movie.

Wait a minute. Ferb is trying to get Gretchen something she sought for a while. What if I did that for Phineas? After all, there is one project he never finished.

* * *

_Six and a half years ago..._

It was June 2013, and my family had just moved into Danville from New Mexico. I was about five years old at the time, and reading through my Lil' Sparks magazine. Even then I wanted to be a Fireside Girl. As I flipped to the page on "Famous Fireside Girls", I heard a knock on my door as my mom walked in.

"Isa, I just finished the last of the unpacking. Why don't we go pay a visit to the neighbors and introduce ourselves?"

"Okay mommy!"

I got up off my chair as my mom and I walked across the street. At the time, I had no clue how much this day would change my life. Walking up to the porch, my mom knocked on the door as an orange-haired woman answered it.

"Oh hi! You must be Vivian. And who is this little one?"

The woman leaned down to me as I waved nervously and smiled. I was a bit shy back then, and could only sputter out a few words.

"I...I'm Isabella..."

"Isabella! What a lovely name. I'm Linda Flynn. Come in, both of you!"

The two of us walked into the house as I noticed an older girl on the couch, petting a dog as she was watching TV.

"Candace! We have guests, turn off the TV!"

The girl I knew now as Candace turned off the TV, the dog also hopping off of her lap and wagging its tail.

"My name is Candace, and this is our dog Bucky!"

I couldn't help but smile and wave at the two, feeling a bit nervous.

"Candace, this is Isabella, Vivian's daughter. They moved in across the street just a few days ago. Do you know where Phineas is?"

"He's up in his room mom."

"I see. Why don't you take Isabella up there to meet him? They seem to be about the same age."

"Okay mom!"

Candace led me upstairs as she took my hand. While I was nervous at the time, nothing would prepare me for what I was about to see. Candace opened a door to show a red-haired, triangle-headed boy sitting on a bed with a large piece of paper, doodling away. Seeing him left me starstruck for a brief moment as all sorts of feelings went through my five-year-old brain.

"Phineas! We have a guest here!"

"Oh hey Candace, who's he-"

Phineas locked gazes with me, smiling. Despite being as nervous and shy as I was, I couldn't help but smile back sheepishly and even blush a little. He then jumped off his bed to talk to me.

"Hi, my name's Phineas. What's your name?"

"I'm...I'm Isabella."

"Isabella. That's a cute name."

I giggled slightly as Phineas smiled back. Candace had left the room to go downstairs, leaving the two of us alone to play.

"So...whatcha doin'?"

That was a neat thing to say. Maybe I'd say it again.

"I'm drawing something! You wanna see?"

"Sure!"

Phineas grabbed my hand as he leapt onto his waterbed with me, the two of us laughing. As he unraveled the paper, I saw that it seemed to resemble a rough blueprint. Some sort of robot was on it, with all sorts of cool functions and gimmicks.

"I like to draw all sorts of wacky inventions. My mom says it's a great way to stimulate my hyperactive brain or something. One day I hope I can build these."

"So what's this one then?"

"It's for a robot friend. He'd give me someone to play with when Candace doesn't want to, and he also has a bunch of other cool features! Like a cupholder, rocket boots, and even a built-in TV!"

Five-year-old me was in awe at what Phineas could make. He was so smart! And cute, but I didn't quite know what that meant at that age. Yet, something felt out of place.

"But what if I could play with you if Candace didn't want to?"

Phineas looked towards me with an expression of surprise as he smiled.

"Why didn't I think of that? C'mon Isabella! Lemme show you our backyard!"

Phineas grabbed my arm as he rushed me out the door, and I couldn't help but feel excited. This was going to be a great friendship.

* * *

I remember that day like it was yesterday. And despite every project Phineas worked on, every amazing idea he had and brought to life, he never created that robot. Maybe it's up to me to make it!

* * *

_Perry POV_

Agent B's trail had led us out of the woods near the factory. His sense of smell was almost as good as my mentor Bucky. When he was Agent D, he brought OWCA nothing short of success, and his dying wish was for me to take care of his family. He had a good life, and I hope to be there for my family.

Wait, I hear something. A branch cracking. Motioning to my allies, we stealthily move through the woods to find Agent B in a small forest clearing, snacking on what appears to be...raw fish? It's like she's gone feral! Suddenly, she gazed at us and let out a defiant roar before charging. Terry took point in front of her, using his shell as a defensive tool while Peter, Pinky, and I hit her from the sides, being sure to incapacitate and not kill. It seemed as if Agent B wasn't using OWCA-trained fighting styles, but was moreso fighting as if she was a normal bear. As I went for a sweep kick, she was knocked onto the ground as Peter, Pinky, and Terry held down her arms to prevent her from getting up. At that point, I jumped onto Agent B's back, held her head, and slammed it into the grass. She was unconscious...for now.

While Pinky, Peter, and Terry kept guard around Agent B, I moved to grab the hovercar so we could transport her back to HQ. On the way, I made sure to send Major Monogram a message.

"Agent B attacked us on sight. She's incapacitated, and we are en route to headquarters right now."

* * *

_Isabella POV_

If there was one place to get Christmas shopping done, it was the Googolplex Mall. Plenty of people were rushing through the place to get gifts, and I was no different. I strolled into Inventor's Emporium, blueprints in hand courtesy of Phineas and Ferb's website. I went to the front desk, where a black-haired teen was managing the register. He seemed oddly familiar, and was also attempting to cover up his right arm.

"Welcome to Inventor's Emporium, my name is Bradley, how may I help you?"

Jeez, this guy's voice sounds so dead inside. He must hate this job.

"Hi, I'm looking to buy the parts listed on this blueprint."

I moved the blueprint across the counter, where Bradley took a look at it and went behind the desk. A few minutes later, he returned with a crate that he slammed onto the desk.

"That'll be two thousand dollars miss. Cash or credit?"

That was more expensive than I anticipated. Time to pull out the big guns.

"Actually, I'm with the Fireside Girls and we get a 15% discount on most Danville retailers. Plus, I have these three coupons."

I hand the coupons over as I smirk smugly. Apparently Phineas and Ferb never needed them due to the amount of money they made from the rollercoaster, so they let anyone have them.

"Alright, combining the 15% Fireside discount and the three Ultra Savings coupons, that'll be...twenty-five dollars."

I hand over the cash and take the crate, walking out of the store. On the way out however, I end up bumping into someone.

"Whoops, sorry!"

"Watch it girly! I got a fragile gift here!"

"Buford?"

I glance around the box to see Buford, who is carrying a box from the comic shop in the mall. He also seems to be eyeing my crate curiously.

"That's a big box you got there. Planning on getting a patch?"

"No, actually. It's for my Secret Santa."

"I thought there was a limit on how much we were allowed to spend."

"Fireside Girls' discount."

"YOU GUYS GET A DISCOUNT?! THAT'S RIDICULOUS!"

If there's one thing I love doing, it's winding up Buford. It's hilarious to watch him when he's irritated.

"Yeah, we do. Best of luck with whatever...that is."

As I walk out the mall, I hear my phone vibrating with a text. I open it up to see that it's from Mrs. Feyerseid. What could she want?

_"Bad news Isabella: you won't be able to obtain your Witnessing a Constellation patch this month due to scheduling conflicts. We're rescheduling to the 15th of January."_

_"Sounds good!"_

Darn. I was really looking forward to getting that patch. On the bright side, that does leave me with an opportunity. I grab my phone as I dial a certain number, and hold it to my shoulder as I call someone special to me, making sure I can still carry the crate.

"Hey Isabella! What's up?"

"Oh hi Phineas! I just got a text from Mrs. Feyerseid that-whoa!"

I just barely avoided bumping into someone as I walked through the mall.

"You okay Isabella?"

"I'm fine! Look, my constellation patch was-yaaah!"

Again! Why are there so many people here at this time of day?

"Isabella!"

"Phineas, I'm fine! Let me just sit down and...away from passerby."

I head to the side of the hallway as I lay down the crate, sitting on it as I chat with my boyfriend. For some reason, he sounds so cute over the phone.

"Sorry about that. Anyways, I called to let you know that I had to delay my Witnessing a Constellation patch to the 15th of January. I know you weren't able to assist me on the original date, so I'm wondering if the new day is good!"

"As much as I'd love to help, I was actually due to see the new Stumbleberry Finkbat movie's premiere that day. I'm sorry."

Now I suddenly feel bad for Ferb. He's likely at their house debating on whether to give Phineas or Gretchen the extra ticket. But hey, I might as well throw him a bone AND get a bonus date with Phineas at the same time!

"Actually, I was hoping to see that movie with you. After all, we never got to see the previous one during the summer."

"That's a good point Isabella! I'll let Ferb know what I'll be doing on the 15th. Love you!"

"Love you too crumb cake."

I hang up as I grab the crate again and smile to myself. And to think I nearly succeeded in preventing Phineas from seeing that letter...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was probably my favorite chapter to write. Seeing Isabella think over her relationship with Phineas just makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Make sure to leave a review if you enjoyed, and I'll see you all soon!


End file.
